Briefly

SAUDI ARABIA

Trump eyes deals as he arrives in Riyadh

US President Donald Trump's schedule was full of activities after landing in Riyadh on Tuesday and kicking off his first overseas tour in his second term in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud welcomed Trump at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh as the US Air Force One, escorted by Saudi F-15 fighter jets shortly before touchdown, landed in the morning. The "historic" tour, the US president said, will also include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and mix urgent diplomacy on the Gaza catastrophe with huge business deals. The landing in Saudi Arabia mirrors Trump's debut overseas trip in his first term in May 2017. But on that occasion he also visited Israel, whereas this time Israel is not on the itinerary.

POLAND

Russian consulate in Krakow closed

Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski announced on Monday the closure of the Russian consulate in Krakow, citing evidence that Russian intelligence services were behind a deliberate act of sabotage targeting a major shopping center in Warsaw. According to the statement, some of the perpetrators are already in custody, while others have been identified and are being pursued. "Warsaw continues to deliberately destroy relations, acting against the interests of its citizens," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. She added that Russia would soon deliver an "adequate response".

JAPAN

Nissan slashes 15% of its global workforce

Nissan is slashing about 15 percent of its global workforce, or about 20,000 employees, as the Japanese automaker reported a loss on Tuesday for the fiscal year that just ended amid slipping vehicle sales in China and other nations, and towering restructuring costs. Nissan Motor said it will reduce the number of its auto plants to 10 from 17, under what it called its recovery plan to carry out "decisive and bold actions to enhance performance and create a leaner, more resilient business that adapts quickly to market changes".It did not say which plants were being closed but confirmed the closures will include factories in Japan. The job cuts to be done by March 2028 include the 9,000 headcount reduction announced last year.

Xinhua - Agencies